Patong

Small Route 13 village in the Lao mountains, set among karst limestone scenery.

Patong is a small village on Route 13 between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, north of Vang Vieng. Not to be confused with the beach resort in Thailand, this Patong is a quiet roadside settlement in the Lao mountains where the bus might stop long enough for you to buy a bag of sticky rice and stretch your legs.

The village sits in a narrow valley surrounded by karst limestone hills covered in dense vegetation. There is no particular reason to stay here unless your transport breaks down, but the scenery along this stretch of road is some of the best in Laos — jagged peaks rising from morning mist, terraced hillsides, and the occasional water buffalo blocking the road. If you are driving yourself, the section between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang is now fully paved but still winding and slow.

The few noodle shops in the village serve basic Lao fare: foe (noodle soup), grilled meats, and Beer Lao. It is the kind of place where the journey is the point, not the destination.

Guide

Getting There

Patong sits on Route 13 between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, and is served by public buses and shared minivans running between those two towns. There is no local transport — arriving and leaving means catching a north or southbound bus from the roadside. Express minivans between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang do not stop here; local buses do.

If you are travelling the Vientiane–Luang Prabang corridor by road, Patong is a natural stop but not a common overnight. Kasi, slightly to the south, has more accommodation options if you want to break the journey.

Guide

Things to Do

Patong is a transit stop rather than a destination. The surrounding karst landscape is the main attraction — views of limestone peaks rising from the valley can be had from almost anywhere along Route 13. If the bus stops long enough, the riverbank offers a short walk and a look at the traditional wooden houses of the village.